Suspension device for curtains, draperies, or the like



March 4, 1952 K, 'LAIRVING 2,588,243

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR CURTAINS,` DRAPERIES OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 12, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l @Y FL. le I l 3 r l 6 I o f\\ w n w e@ nw-7922:@ t, f-H

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR CURTAINS, DRAPERIES OR THE LIKE March 4, 1952 K. T. lRvlNG 2,588,243

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR CURTAINS, DRAPERIES OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. l2, 1948 4 Sheets-Shea? 5l Filz-1 9 March'4, 1952 K'. T. IRvlNG 2,588,243

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR CURTAINS, DRAPERVIES OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. .12,` 1948 I l 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 assen/is Fig. 8 is a cross-section along the line VIII- VIII in Figure 7;

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of one end of a cornice-curtain board according to a still further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a cross-section taken along the lines X-X of Fig. 9, the cornice being, however, shown as attached to the curtain-board; and

Fig. 11 is a broken top edge view of the cornice of Figs. 9 and 10 in its condition of being folded together.

Referring to Figs. 1-3 of the accompanying drawings, a curtain-board is shown comprising a pair of brackets (not shown), and an intervening member or board 8. The board 8 is, in a well-known manner, provided with channels 2 extending longitudinally therein and adapted to receive runners 3 provided with means such vas hooks for carrying the curtains (not shown), -said hooks projecting through a slit in the bot- A.tom face of said board 8.

At the ends of the main or middle member 8 of the curtain-board there are mounted extension members I0, respectively, which are, at- .tached thereto by means of hinges 9 or the like .secured to the top face of said middle member 8. The extension members III are provided with substantially arcuate channels I I forming a continuation of the channels 2 in said middle member 8. Stop means in the form of a cramp I2 or the like is provided at the outer ends of the channels II so as to prevent the runners 3 from escaping out of said channels. Advantageously said stop means, however, may consist of the end wall which is obtained if, in the operation of forming the channels II, a portion I3 (see Fig. 3) of the material is left unbroken at the free end of the extension member I0.

For mounting the curtain it is only necessary `to flap the extension members upwards, whereby the runners 3 can be conveniently slipped into the mouths of the channels 2 which are thereby exposed. After having rocked the extension vmembers down again some of the runners may be slid into the channels II from where they are prevented from being dropped by the stop means I2 or I3, respectively.

f Referring to Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawings, when "using a valance in association with curtainboards, cornices or like suspension devices for curtains, draperies and the like, it is common practice to attach said valance at its upper edge 'to' the front and lside edges of the curtain-board by means of drawing-pins or by other suitable fastening means. Since these attached edges of the valance will be Visible from the interior of the room the valance will have to be fastened with a high degree of care in `order not to deteriorate the general appearance of the curtain or drapery arrangement, and therefore it may be found necessary in certain cases to resort to skilled assistance which, ofcourse, involves an extra expense.

The disadvantage just mentioned, according tothe embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, is wholly eliminated in that the attached edge of the valance simply is not made visible as it is `arranged to be covered by a cornice or like means.

l* In Figs. 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings a curtain-board is shown at I as provided, as before, with two longitudinally extending channels 2 with circular cross-section. ends of the board I there are inserted into the channels 2 a number of runners 3 provided with From the hooks or the like for carrying the curtains, drap-u eries or the like lll. A valance 38 is, in a wellknown manner, secured at its upper edge to the vertical front and side edges 5 and e, respectively, of the board I by means of drawing-pins 1. After attaching the valance 38 the front edge thereof secured to the board I is covered by letting down a front member SI or cornice secured to the board I by means of hinges II3. The attached side edges of the Valance are each covered by an L-shaped end member III slidingly adjustable endwise of the board I. One iiange II2 of the L-shaped member is adapted to cover the front surface of the ends of the front member 9I when the latter is in its let-down position. rIhe outer surfaces of the end members III are preferably similarly formed as the front surface of the front member 9|.

In this embodiment the hinges II3 have one leaf I4 thereof secured to the top face of the board I adjacent the front edge 5 thereof, the other hinge leaf I5 being secured to a rib or the like I'o mounted on the inner face of the front member 9| adjacent to the top edge thereof. Advantageously the holes II for the fastening screws of the hinges IIS should be elongated in order to make it possible, by adjusting the hinge leaves I, to vary the clearance between the vertical front face 5 of the board I and the front member 3i to thereby provide for the attachment of Valances 38 of different thicknesses.

lThe adjustment of the end pieces I Il longitudinally of the board I is enabled owing to the fact that one ange I8 of an angle iron I9 is attached to the inner surface of the associated end member III, the other flange 2J being slidable in a guide member 2| secured to the top face of the board I and comprising a substantially U-shaped sheet metal plate provided with fastening lugs. The end members III are, by means of a set-screw 22 in each of the guide members 2I, settable in an adjusted position relative to the board. The board I is in this instance provided with brackets 24 in the form of angle irons one flange of which is attached to the wall and the other flange of which is adjustable and settable in guide members 23 mounted on the board I.

Also, in this embodiment, the end members I I I serve as stop members to limit the lateral displacement of the curtains 4I, in that the runners 3 are thereby prevented from slipping out of the channels 2 at the ends of the latter.

The curtain-board may or may not be provided with a valance. In the latter case the front member 9| and the end membersV I II will cover the front and end edges of the curtainboard.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings, a suspension device is shown comprising a curtainboard I, end members IU hinged to said board, and a pair 'of brackets I3I (only one of which is shown) for mounting the curtain-board I, I0. As in the preceding embodiments the curtainboard is'provided with longitudinally extending channels 2 for receiving runners 3 having means for fastening thecurtains. The end members I0 are, as usual, provided with rounded continuations of said channels and also with stop means for'limiting the movement of said runners.

The front portion of the curtain-board I may be given any suitable shape, and the brackets I3I are of the shape specified in the foregoing as having a recess I4a and a lip I3a projecting down into said recess from the front portion of said bracket. According to this embodiment of the invention a longitudinally extending groove. Ia is provided in the upper surface of the board, and the portion 9a of the board situated to the rear of and below the rear edge and said groove Ia. is given a shape corresponding to the recess Ma in the brackets I3i, whereby the said edge portion 9ct can be inserted from in front into said recess Ma, and said lip I3a is caused to engage said groove Illa in the board.

In Fig. 8 the board I is shown as having on its bottom face a longitudinally extending lip` or shoulder |23 which, when the board is mounted in place, engages the front edge |24 of the brackets ISI below the recesses Illa thereof. This will materially decrease the stress to which the brackets are subjected, and there will be no risk of pressing apart and breaking the two arms of the brackets embracing the recess Ma, upon loading the board with heavy draperies, for example. It is to be understood, of course, that the groove Illa need not necessarily extend along the entire length of the curtain-board.

Referring to Figs. 9 to 1l, a suspension device is shown comprising a curtain-board I, recessed brackets I3I for holding the board when mounted in place, and a cornice or like member IIB, II'I to be described later. The shape of the bracket recesses and of the rear edge portion of said board is such as to enable the insertion of said i portion into said recesses to be performed in a rearwardly and downwardly inclined direction, and not to permit the board to be rocked into its substantially horizontal position until after said board has been so inserted. According to a previously proposed construction said brackets are made of wood. In order to obtain the required rigidity the thickness of such wooden brackets, however, will haveA to be fairly great. This will result in a rather large clearance between the rear edge of the curtain-board and the wall to which the brackets are attached. Such clearance is objectionable as it will admit daylight onto the wall surface above the curtainboard. Itis an object of this invention to eliminate this disadvantage. To this end, according to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 9 and l0, each bracket I3I comprises an angularly bent sheet metal piece one flange whereof Ib is formed as a mounting plate, and the other, forwardly extending flange whereof is provided with the aforesaid recess. The bracket flange Ib is provided with holes I Ia for the fastening screws I2a. The recess has a shape complementary to the rear edge portion 9a of the curtain-board I, and is formed between the two arms II4 and IIE of the forwardly projecting bracket flange. At the forward end of the lower arm II5 there is provided a slightly upwardly projecting extension 36. When the curtain-board has been inserted with its rear edge portion 9a into the recesses and thereafter rocked into its horizontal position, then, due to the weight of the board and curtains, the said extension 36 will engage the bottom face of the board and thereby prevent any endwise displacement of the same.

In the Figs. 9 to ll there is also illustrated an improvement in a cornice or the like for a curtain-board and comprising a front member I I6 and two end members II'I. The cornice is adapted to be removably attached to said curtain-board I, and the end members of said cornice are foldably connected with said front member. The curtain-board I is provided with the two longitudinally extending channels 2, as before.

adapted to receive a number of ball-shaped orl `cylindrical runners 3 whichL are slidable along said channels 2 and each provided with a downwardly projecting hook or the like 4- passing through a slit 5I arranged in the .bottom face of the curtain-board I, and adapted to carry the curtains III or the like.

In the top surface of the curtain-board I there is provided adjacent the rear edge thereof a longitudinally extending and comparatively shallow groove Ia the front edge of which is` given a slightly steeper slope than the rear edge thereof. In addition, the upper rear edge of the curtainboard I is rounded so as to form a torus-like projection 9a. The lower rear edge of the board I is rounded, as well, but its rounding has a larger radius of curvature than has said torus-shaped projection 9e. As mentioned `above the brackets Ib are in the form of angle irons the forwardly projecting flanges whereof are provided with a recess complemental in `shape to said groove Ia and `said torus-like projection 9.a.

The front member I I5 of the cornice is adapted to cover the front edge of said curtain-board I, and the two end members I Il and I I3 are adapted, respectively, to cover the end edges of said board. The member IIE: is foldably connected with said end members II'I, IIS by means of hinges. The pin of one hinge is shown at I I9 and its leaves at I2@ and I2I, respectively. At 23a fastening screws for attaching the hinge leaves to the cornice members are shown.

In the top edges of the cornice members II, III, II@ there are provided one or more screws IM serving each as a pivot pin for an arm 25 preferably of a suitable resilient material and being provided at one cf its longer edges with a recess Zi adapted, when the cornice is to .be locke-d to the curtain-board, to be engaged by a screw Z'I threaded into the top surface of the curtainboard. The resilient arms 25, as is indicated in Fig. l0, may be offset from the top face of the curtain-board so as to cause the same to be pressed against the under-side of the heads of said screws 21, and further they may be provided at their free ends with a lug 28 in order to facilitate their manipulation. Among the advantages of this suspension device may be mentioned that, for transport purpose, the cornice may be readily released from the curtain-board and be so folded together as not to be exposed to the risk; of being damaged.

While I have shown and described only some specific embodiments of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made therein within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a suspension device for curtains having a curtain-board and a bracket, an extension member at an end of said board, at least one channel extending longitudinally through said board, said IV board having a slit between said channel and the bottom surface of said board, a plurality of sliding elements in said channel, a fastener for carrying said curtains on each sliding element, an arcuate channel in said member, said arcuate channel being curved towards the rear edge of said board and forming a continuation of said channel in said board, and stop means closing the outer end of said arcuate channel in said extension member, said extension member being movable relatively to the curtain-board into a position in which the space between the end of the channel in the board and the adjacent end of the channel in the ex-tension member is in excess of the corresponding dimensions of a sliding member thereby facilitating the insertion of the sliding members in the channels.

2. In a device as claimed in claim 1, said stop means being formed by an end wall of said arcuate channel in said extension member and consisting of a portion of the material of said extension member left unbroken at the free end of said member When forming the channel therein.

3. In a suspension device for curtains comprising in combination a curtain-board, a bracket therefor, and a cornice member attached to the frontedge of said board which when applied in place extends over the vertical front edge of said board, an end member movably attached to said board which when applied in place has one part covering the front surface of said cornice member at an end of the latter, said end member being independent of said bracket and movable with relation thereto while said bracket supports said board.

4. In a suspension device as claimed in claim 3, and in which said end member is L-shaped, one flange of the L.-member overlapping the front surface of said cornice member when applied in place.

5. In a suspension device as claimed in claim 4, and in which said cornice member is swingable relatively to said board, and said end member being adjustable longitudinally of said board.

6. In a suspension device for curtains comprising in combination a board member a U-shaped supporting bracket for said board, the space between the arms of the bracket receiving the rear edge of said board when applied in place, a lip on the front portion of said bracket and projectin-g into the space between said arms of the bracket, a longitudinal groove in one of the faces of said board member near the rear edge thereof, said rear edge portion having a shape complemental to said space between the arms of said bracket whereby said rear edge portion of said board can be inserted from in front into said space, and, when said board is applied in place, said lip engage said groove in said board.

7. In a suspension device for curtains comprising in combination a board member and a U-shaped supporting bracket for said member, at

least one channel extending longitudinally through said board, a plurality of sliding members in said channel for carrying said curtains, the space between the arms of said bracket receiving and retaining the rear edge of said board, after insertion of the rear edge portion of said board into said space in said bracket, said rear edge of said board and the space between the arms of said bracket being generally curved and complemental in shape for facilitating joining thereof and angular displacement of said board into a substantially horizontal position, said bracket comprising a sheet metal plate bent to right angles, one portion of said bracket being formed as a mounting base, and the other portion forming said arms.

8; In a suspension device as claimed in claim 7, and in which the rear end of said space between the arms of said bracket is situated in close proximity to said mounting base whereby the rear edge of said board will be in close proximity to a wall mounting said suspension device.

9. In a suspension device for curtains comprising in combination a pair of brackets, a curtainboard carried by said brackets; a cornice member detachably secured to said board, said cornice comprising two relatively short end members, when in place covering one end edge of said board, respectively, and a relatively long front member hinged to said end members, the pins of said hinges being vertically disposed when said cornice is applied in place, both said front member and said end members having substantially plane rear faces, said hinge pins being disposed on the rear side of said cornice in the corners between said front member and said end members.

KNUT THEODOR IRVING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 479,787 Clark Aug. 2, 1892 551,862 Hewitt Dec. 24, 1895 653,484 McCullough July 10, 1900 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 526,394 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1940 

